Cheney: Romney would be better in a crisis

Former vice president Dick Cheney says Mitt Romney is the right person in case of another 9/11 or other disaster.

"Sooner or later there is going to be a big surprise, usually a very unpleasant one," Cheney said at a fundraiser he hosted for Romney in Wyoming. "Whether it's 9/11 or the other kinds of difficulties or crises that arrive, they always do. That's when you find out what kind of leader your president is."

NBC News quoted Cheney as saying, "When I think about the kind of individual I want in the Oval Office in that moment of crisis, who has to make those key decisions, some of them life and death decisions, some of them decisions as the commander in chief who has the responsibility of sending our young men and women into harm's way -- that man is Mitt Romney."

The ex-veep, who had a heart transplant in March, has been an outspoken critic of Obama's national security policies.

Obama and aides have said Cheney's aggressive foreign policy ill-served American interests abroad.

The Cheney fundraiser brought in more than $4 million for Romney's campaign.

Romney called Cheney "a great American leader," according to the Associated Press -- and did not mention his ex-boss, former president George W. Bush.

To report corrections and clarifications, contact Standards Editor Brent Jones. For publication consideration in the newspaper, send comments to letters@usatoday.com. Include name, phone number, city and state for verification. To view our corrections, go to corrections.usatoday.com.

USA TODAY is now using Facebook Comments on our stories and blog posts to provide an enhanced user experience. To post a comment, log into Facebook and then "Add" your comment. To report spam or abuse, click the "X" in the upper right corner of the comment box. To find out more, read the FAQ and Conversation Guidelines.

Approval ratings, 1945-present

About David Jackson

David's journalism career spans three decades, including coverage of five presidential elections, the Oklahoma City bombing, the 2000 Florida presidential recount and the 9/11 terrorist attacks. He has covered the White House for USA TODAY since 2005. His interests include history, politics, books, movies and college football -- not necessarily in that order. More about David